“We’re working to finalize an executive order that will encourage police departments nationwide to meet the most current professional standards for the use of force, including tactics for de-escalation,” Trump said at a roundtable with law enforcement, faith leaders, and small business owners at Gateway Church in Dallas.
“Also, we’ll encourage pilot programs that allow social workers to join certain law enforcement officers so that they work together,” he said.
“We’ll take care of our police. We’re not defunding police—if anything, we’re going the other route. We’re going to make sure our police are well trained, perfectly trained, [and that] they have the best equipment,” the president continued, to applause.
Trump later clarified the idea of encouraging police departments to “meet the most current professional standards of force.”
“That means force, but force with compassion,” he said. “But if you’re going to have to really do a job, if somebody’s really bad, you’re going to have to do it with real strength, real power.”
“And I said—and people said ‘Oh, I don’t know if we like that expression’—I said, we have to dominate the streets.
“What happened in New York City, the damage they’ve done … you can’t let that happen,” the president said, to prolonged applause and cheering. “You have to dominate the street.”